Craig Cunningham receives award for dedication to hockey

Former Tucson Roadrunners forward Craig Cunningham was named the recipient of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award on Friday, recognizing the AHL player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey.

The Roadrunners then-captain suffered an on-ice medical emergency prior to a Nov. 19 game. He was rushed to a Tucson, Ariz., hospital where the expert care of the medical team saved his life. Cunningham suffered acute cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation.

The 26-year-old Cunningham lost part of his left leg as a result of the cardiac arrest. While his playing days are over, Cunningham returned to the ice in late March, skating with a prosthetic foot while continuing his rehabilitation.

When the Arizona Coyotes, the parent club of the AHL Roadrunners, close out their season Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, Cunningham will be on hand to drop the puck in a ceremonial faceoff.